Hear Me Now
by doodlenoodle
Summary: Kaa-chan wasn't supposed to come home this early. She was never meant to ever find out about Otou-san's secret. Kaa-chan caught Otou-san with another lady on the couch. Sasu/Saku Non-Mass.
1. Part I

**Hear Me Now**

**.I.**

'_When are they gonna stop?' _Kousei thought miserably to himself.

Both parents had assumed that he was sound asleep. Tucked up safely in his bed and protected by a nest of pillows and blankets. Not able to hear their shouts, that actually echoed through out the entire house. No, instead amongst a pile of royal blue, flaming red and snow-white duvet a tiny tuft of raven hair peeked out. A whole head of raven spikes soon emerged from the cotton sanctuary. Revealing a child that was very much awake.

With dewy ebony eyes, that were as dark as the night sky, he cautiously glanced around the room. It looked safe enough, although not totally convinced he quickly dived back under the covers of his blanket. Re-emerging with his faithful dinosaur companion.

Satisfied that he was that little bit safer, Kousei began to wriggle himself free of the blankets until he was sitting complete upright on the sound of his bed. Not making any noise, just like Otou-chan had taught him, he slowly slid out of bed and crept his way across the room.

Standing in front of his door, Kousei winced at just how much louder the shouting had become. He winced at the tone of each bellow from his Otou-san and then the high-pitched shriek of his Kaa-chan in return. He quickly forced himself to swallow down the sobs that threatened to escape his throat. It did no good. Kousei had to raise his hands to cover his mouth in order to smother the sound. Kousei continued to hiccup with overflowing sadness and his whole body began to shake under the force of his crying.

Kousei turned his head to nuzzle the head of his dinosaur, trying to calm down. Even through his sniffling nose, he was able to smell his favourite smell on the toy: cherries and cookies. Burrowing his head even further into the dinosaur toy and sniffing in as much of the scent as possible, Kousei began to imagine.

There was warmth surrounding him and a soft voiced that cooed into his ear, promising him like always, everything was going to be okay. Next, he added colours: pink and green. Colours that Kousei had automatically come to associate with love and safety.

_Kaa-chan. _

Kousei flicked his eyes open and his hopes were dashed. His Kaa-chan was not there.

His little heart broke.

All Kousei wanted was his Kaa-chan. Nothing else. Just to have her hold him. At the thought, more tears begun to pool into his eyes.

"Kaa-chan," he cried, voice broken and so soft, he barely heard himself. "Kaa-chan, please," he sobbed, clutching his dinosaur with all his might, "please stop fighting with Otou-san."

Kousei knew that there was no chance that she would actually hear him. Not with the all the noise. Not with all that screaming, cussing and threats in the background. No, there was no way that she would have heard him.

Hunching up into a little ball, Kousei buried his face into the soft toy and uttered a soft prayer. _"Kami-sama, please help. I don't want Kaa-chan to leave. Please let the fighting stop."_ He inhaled a shaky breath before whispering his last request to the spirits. _"Please, let everything be alright."_


	2. Part II

**.II.**

Kousei was covered from head to toe in nature it seemed. Mud, twigs and leaves, flowers of all sorts stuck to his clothing like camouflage. His Kaa-chan was going to have a fit when she saw him. After a day spent playing 'ninja' with Itachi-jii what else could she expect? She knew that 'playing ninja' actually translated into pre-shinobi practice, of which his Otou-san insisted that he do. Even though it upset his Kaa-san that her child, her baby, was handling weapons at such a tender age, Kousei did as he was told. All he wanted to do was to make his Otou-san proud.

Kousei knew that Otou-san would not be very impressed with that way he was acting now. Bouncing around everywhere, a goofy smile plastered across his face, breaking the big rule: Uchiha's do not opening exhibit that much emotion. Oh, but he just could not help it; he was just so happy.

What he really made him so happy was what had happened on accident today. He paused for a moment as he thought about how his Kaa-chan would react. His mood wilted as he imagined the look or horror and worry on her face. He sighed, maybe she would just be a tiny bit proud of him Cause he knew that without a doubt his Otou-san was going to be thrilled. After all, he had just obtained his Sharingan.

Kousei was just about home, that he started to vibrate with excitement, giggling to himself with happiness he began to sprint the rest of the way. Coming to the front porch of his home he jumped the stairs two and a time and only slowed down marginally to remove his sandals – no need to make Kaa-chan even more mad cause he had tracked mud prints all through the house. Once the shoes were off his little feet he slammed open the screen and ran down the hall to his Otou-san's study.

Pausing outside the screen Kousei tried to gather himself, finding it rather impossible to contain that much excitement he latched onto the screen and slid it quietly open. His mouth wide in preparation to exclaim the news to his father but froze before he could even utter a sound.

Kousei managed to choke silently and his eyes went wide. Otou-san was on the couch- no, absolutely nothing strange about that all. What was out of the place was the woman on the couch and how she was on top of Otou-san. It was not his Kaa-chan.

Kaa-chan was on a mission for the rest of the month.

Feeling very confused and not sure what to say, Kousei backed away from the room Kousei began to sprint out of the house again and back to the training field where he hoped Itachi-jii was still there.

Past all the other houses in the Uchiha district he ran, at one point he even ran by his Obaa-san who attempted to stop him, "Kou-chan, Kou-chan, where are you running too?"

He couldn't stop. He had to find Itachi-jii. Coming closer to the field Kousei could see that his uncle had in fact just finished packing up all of the training gear and hefted the bag of markers and rubber kunai and shuriken bags over his shoulder, before making to leave through a clearing make to his own office at ANBU headquarters where he knew there was a mountain of paperwork which he had dutifully been neglecting.

Catching sight of the young boy, Itachi just had time to drop the things before the boy came running towards him and embraced him in a giant hug, lifting him up into his arms, Itachi pressed the boy into his neck and hugged him back. As he always did when Kousei came running towards him like that. Glancing down in confusion as to what the boy was doing here, Itachi was even more startled to find the collar of his shirt growing wet. Something was very wrong.

Pulling the young boy back, Itachi was met with watery black eyes and a quivering mouth. Kousei wasn't even trying to hold back the tears, as he had been taught his whole life. Such emotion was wrong to display. Concern still growing Itachi gently probed the young boy for what could be wrong.

"Was your father not pleased about you gaining the Sharingan?" Kousei shook his head and tried to dive back into his uncle's neck. Not allowing Kousei to hide Itachi freed one hand from holding the boy to wipe back some of his bangs that had become wet and stuck to Kousei's cheeks.

"Kousei." The boy looked up but remained silent.

Sighing, Itachi held him for that little while longer, letting him calm down before he asked again.

"Kousei, what is wrong?"

Kousei just shook his head and gave his uncle a smile that he recognized very well. That he had learnt from his mother. Setting the boy down, Kousei wiped the remainder of tears away from his eyes, schooled his face and shoved his hands deep into his pockets before walking away from Itachi – like absolutely nothing had happened. Leaving Itachi standing there feeling like a fool. Obviously, something major had occurred and he had no clue as to what it was.

Kousei walked home, dodging amongst the hustle and bustle of the Uchicha district once more until he reached his home. Just as quietly as before he calming removed his shoes and entered the front door, and trudged his way towards the living room to find that the screen was once more closed.

Taking a deep breath and holding it, Kousei raised a shaking hand to slide the screen back. Peeking inside he was relieved to see that the lady was gone and it was just his Otou-san on the couch again, reading mission reports per usual.

Glancing up from the report and sensing his son this time around, Sasuke looked at his son staring at him from the narrow gap in the screen.

He raised an eyebrow. "Kousei, what are you doing? Why aren't you at training?"

Opening the door fully Kousei stepped into the room to reveal him muddy clothes and still raw eyes. Scoffing at the sight, Sasuke turned back to his mission reports, glad to see that his son had actually been training like he was supposed to.

"Make sure you are cleaned up before dinner. " And with another final grunt he dismissed the boy.

Kousei however didn't move. He just stood there staring at him. Growing annoyed with his son, Sasuke looked up from his reports again and snapped, "What? What are you looking at Kousei?"

"Nothing Otou-san," Kousei whispered, finally looked away from his Otou-san, seeing that there wasn't any proof of another woman to be found. Turning away from his Otou-san Kousei made his way out of the room and back down the hall to the bathroom where he proceeded to run his own bath and cleaning himself up. All the while just wishing the pictures from earlier would just leave his head, all happiness from gaining the Sharingan totally and long forgotten.

Kousei could honestly say that when his Kaa-chan came home early that night he was very excited to see her. Reminding himself that it was her that Otou-san loved.

Yet, the next month when Kaa-chan was sent away again and Kousei came home from practice early once more, he caught his Otou-san with the same lady and this time his Otou-san saw him as well. He had shoved the lady off him and the lady had just glared at Kousei- before leaving the house and telling his Otou-san to call her back when it would be more convenient.

Turning on his son, he made Kousei make a Uchiha oath to never tell Kaa-chan about an of this and with the look that his father gave him, what choice did the little boy who just loved his father, have but to agree.

So, whenever Otou-san kept on bringing home other women whenever Kaa-chan was on a mission or at work. Kousei didn't always catch Otou-san but whenever I did, he always made me say the same oath, to never tell Kaa-chan.


	3. Part III

**.III.**

You know, sometimes I wonder if my Otou-san still loves Kaa-chan anymore. I mean I know for sure that Otou-san loves me. Cause he tells me every single day. Well he doesn't exactly say it, but I know what he means. Whenever we finish training or after Otou-san had taught me a new jutsu, he always looks at me all funny and says, "Kousei, good job. Keep making me proud." And after that we start to play until we get called to dinner by Kaa-chan.

The problem for me is that I don't know how to tell his he does love Kaa-chan anymore. Because over the past year it just doesn't seem like it.

So I asked him.

"Otou-san, do you still love Kaa-chan?"

He gave me that funny look again and put down those stupid boring reports that he is always reading and he actually came over to lean down in front of me and he hugged me. I started to get worried then. Was Otou-san sick, I mean he never hugged me.

When he stopped hugging me, he looked at me for a while and finally said in a rough voice, "Kousei, I promise you that I love Kaa-san very much."

I still wasn't completely sure, I had to know just how much he did love Kaa-chan. "How much do you love her? All the way to moon and back?"

He just shook his head at me and then got all serious again and said in his no-argument voice, "I love your Kaa-san in a different way Kousei, and that's the end of it."

Then he just got up and went back to his usual spot on the couch and kept reading. But I just didn't get it. I mean he didn't make any sense. But the more I looked at Otou-san I was surprised to see that he actually looked a little sad. But why? I really wanted to ask him some more questions but I knew it wouldn't be a good idea, so I decided to leave Otou-san alone for now.


	4. Part IV

**.IV.**

Kaa-chan wasn't supposed to come home this early. She was never meant to ever find out about Otou-san's secret. Kaa-chan caught Otou-san with another lady on the couch. I think she was just surprised as I was the first time I found Otou-san doing that.

Because when I tried to enter the room but Kaa-chan was still in the way. I had poked at the back of her knees but she still wasn't moving. I poked her a little harder but she still wasn't going to move.

"Kaa-chan, why won't you move?" I asked her, tugging on her shirt. Slowly Kaa-chan had backed up, forcing me to stay behind her. Even when I tried to move, she made sure that I was behind her. Turning around she picked me up and started to walk down the hall. Before she did though I caught a glance of the living room. There was Otou-san, on the couch with another lady.

Oh no.

Kaa-chan had just found out the secret and Otou-san really did not look happy about it.

"Kaa-chan?" I asked again, tugging on her hair.

When she turned her face to me, I felt my chest begin to hurt. Kaa-chan's eyes were watering really bad, like she was going to break any second. She still didn't put me down. She kept walking with me in her arms until we came to my room. Where she tucked me into bed, even though I hadn't had dinner yet and it wasn't close to my bed time…I wasn't going to argue. Not when Kaa-chan looked like she would break if I hugged her to hard.

Which I wanted to do. I wanted to go back out into that room and tell Otou-san he was being a poohead. I wished that I could have warned Kaa-chan. Asked her to have taken me to the park, gotten ramen for dinner or even gone to visit Itachi-jii. Anything that would have kept her from coming home and seeing Otou-san with one of his ladies. Just so that Kaa-chan didn't have to find out that Otou-san doesn't love her anymore.

I wish…I wish I could have told Kaa-chan from the start so that she didn't have to hurt like this. But Otou-san made me take that oath.

I wish that Otou-san hadn't said such mean things about Kaa-chan to all the other women.

I wish that Kaa-chan would stop crying.


	5. Part V

**.V.**

They did not even hear Kousei as he stormed out to stand in the doorway to the living room. Kaa-chan was throwing plates at Otou-san's head. He was throwing kunai back. Both of them were bleeding everywhere. Kaa-chan was still crying everywhere and Otou-san was not going to say sorry. They were just shouting and shouting at each other.

"_You are my wife what right do you have to tell me what to do?"_

"_Am I even your wife?"_

Kaa-chan stamped her foot and the whole house shook.

Otou-san had activated his Sharingan and had assumed the battle stance. They were seriously going to fight in the house. And they were about to charge at each other. Kaa-chan with her glowing fists of chakra ready to kill and Otou-san hand beginning to sound like the chirping of birds.

And they charged at each other head, no regard for their living room of what furniture got in the way. All the while still screaming insults at each, barely able to comprehend their words over the sounds of the roaring jutsus.

Kousei had moved to hide behind the couch, still clutching his stuffed dinosaur toy and not even shivering as his Kaa-chan landed a fatal blow to Otou-san. Or how Otou-san sent Kaa-chan flying through several walls of the house.

Why did the have to hurt each other like?

Why wouldn't they stop?

No.

No.

No!

"Stop it!" he shouted as he saw Otou-san coming back to hurt Kaa-chan some more.

Kaa-chan had apparently been ready for him, because she had her chakra blades out and was slashing at Otou-san with intent to kill. Otou-san may have done something wrong but he did not deserve to die.

"Kaa-chan, please don't-" He didn't even get to finish his sentence.

Kaa-chan was screaming and screaming. So loud. Kousei was shaking. Was Kaa-chan dying?

He rushed to her side to see if she was alright but halted as he saw his Otou-san's eyes. The were Sharingan and glowing red for blood that he had just spilt from Kaa-chan and as their gaze fell over Kousei they did not soften.

Kaa-chan's screams slowly became harsh dry sobs. Whatever she was seeing would have to be nightmare worthy that Kousei could not even imagine and as he looked to his Otou-san again he saw only hate.

He felt his own tears leaking down his face and again and he knew that all he could do now was pray. His Otou-san had gone to his dark place again. That place Itachi-jii had told him about. The one were Otou-san wouldn't come back.

So Kousei prayed.

_Kami-sama hear me now. Please bring my Otou-san back. Please don't let my family fall apart. _


	6. Part VI

_Thank you so much for all your reviews, with so much encouragement I have decided to extend the series out a little more. Don't always expect updates to be this quick though. Enjoy. Also, wanted for this story: a beta. Send me a PM if interested please. _

**.Part VI.**

Interlude

.SASUKE.

To Sasuke it had been a natural evolution. From teammates to friends, friends to best friends, best friends to something more, something more to lovers and finally husband and wife. It had taken place over a course of seven years and it took less than that for their marriage to fall apart.

He had seen it coming the instant he had proposed, something he had not wanted to do in the first place. The damned clan had pressured him though, and at the risk of losing his standing, his honor, the respect of his Otou-san and the disappointment in his Okaa-san-what other choice did he have? He had to get down on his knee and pull out a ring.

Sakura had of course accepted.

The ceremony was over done and he hadn't cared for any of it. Honestly? He only found it all worth it as it came to the honeymoon, where the best part of their marriage and his life happened. On that small trip away to Tea Country, his son, Kousei had been conceived.

Of course looking back now, he could see the pro's and con's in having a baby in the relationship. Pro: it was a reason for them to come together again and work together to raise their little bundle of joy. Con: the stress, at times it felt like things were going to split apart right there and then.

Sasuke couldn't complain. In the two years following the birth of Kousei, everything was nearly perfect with the three of them. Him, Sakura and Kousei. They lived in their own house. Sakura was on part-time at the hospital and extended mission leave, as was agreed upon until Kousei hit the Academy. That was until Itachi declined that job at the Police Department and naturally his father has cast his eyes upon his second son to fill the position. Eager to do please, Sasuke had leapt at the chance. Not realizing the full consequences of this new career.

Having to give up his status as full-time shinobi to become a dedicated member of the force; the tedious and endless reports and reading of scrolls and paperwork; being stuck in the same position with no promotion on the horizon for another twenty years while his brother moved further and further up the ranks in the shinobi work; and finally the snub of his pride. His wife was promoted to fulltime field medic-nin and went away to be a ninja. Bringing in triple the money he earned in a month in just one week.

Eventually that just all added up too. Unhappy at work, bruised ego, wife gone for months at a time, stuck in a rut, wanting excitement, again natural evolution steered Sasuke straight towards another woman.

So, the affairs began.

It had been with the same woman at first, but as she became too attached and clingy, he moved on to another. The same thing always happened, the fell in love or some rubbish and he had to get rid of them lest they show up whilst Sakura was home. No matter what, he would not take that risk.

He would not expose Kousei to his toxic mistakes and pollute his child with his adultery. More so, despite all the resentment he held towards Sakura, he in no way had wanted to hurt her. As he had explained to his son, he did love Sakura and always will that love had just changed over time. The romance was not there anymore. That spark that had made them a couple had vanished and he had no desire to rekindle it. For he could live in the satisfaction of knowing, that Sakura was his friend. With a way to relieve his other needs with other women, he had a achieved a perfect balance. Sasuke however, could still not count his resentment he held towards Sakura, overtime secrets do have a way of getting out, and anger does have a habit of making a fool out of anyone at the best of times.

When it all exploded? It felt like such a relief. He regretted Kousei finding out of course, and he regretted making his son swear to be silent on the matter, but he could not have Sakura finding out from their child-they would never find the pieces of his body. Instead Sakura had found out in one of the other worst ways possible.

By catching his right in the act with his current fling. He had seen Kousei behind her and his stomach had dropped like a stone. He was frozen, the girl on top of his as well. Both watching as Sakura calmly turned around, taking Kousei down the hall and out of earshot.

Coming to his senses later than he would have liked, Sasuke pushed the girl off himself and begun to hastily button up his shirt and scout around the floor for his pants, which he was actually sitting on. All the while ignoring the simpering pleas of "Sasuke-kun come back and finish it!"

"Sasuke-kun!" The damn girl had the nerve to stamp her foot.

Temper beginning to overflow Sasuke grabbed the girls face with his hand and let his Sharingan spin. "Leave, and do not come back."

Nodding and shaking with terror, Sasuke didn't even cast the chit a second glance as he stormed out of the room and down the hall to the kitchen, where he knew she would be.

Sitting at the table with a bottle of Sake in her hand. Casually swirling it around and trying to stare through the hole to see the liquid content. Taking a long sip she slammed the bottle back on the table, creating cracks all through the clay. Licking the little droplets from around the side of her mouth she inhaled before she spoke and popped her question with a broken voice.

"How could you, Sasuke? How could you?"


End file.
